The Diet Diary Week 4

Another week gone, and its almost like I’m wishing my life away!Â Yes, I’m getting to that stage where I’m bored with not allowing myself to grab a lump of chocolate, or a few biscuits or even a simple doorstep of crusty bread with fresh butter generously spread all over it, or maybe a sneaky trip to the local Chinese takeaway for a portion of chicken chow mein and pork balls……..

It’s not because I’m particularly hungry, just that a lot of it comes with the need for comfort eating and to alleviate boredom.Â Yes, shock! horror! I actually eat because I enjoy it, and not just because I’m getting wobbly with hunger.

But so far I have pretty much resisted, and the good news is that I continue to lose weight, with another 1 lb lost this week, 8 lbs in total since I started the starvation healthy program four weeks ago.

A lot of it is all in the head, my perception of hunger changes depending on whether I’m zoned in to dieting or not.

And sometimes, when I’m really focused on the things I can eat, rather than the things I can’t, the thought of eating the things I can’t eat actually puts me off eating!

Complicated isn’t it?

Simply put, you’re either in the mood or you’re not!Â And at the moment I’m not.

Plenty of leftovers for lunch next day!

Recipe of the week
Tasty chicken with mash and vegServes 4 ready in about 55 minutes

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C/400 degrees F/Gas 6.Â Place the potatoes in a large pan of water with the stock cube and bring to the boil.Â Then cover and simmer for 25 minutes, adding the cauliflower halfway through.

2. Make the incisions in the chicken and put on a roasting tray.Â Drizzle over the Bovril and the herbs and rub into the chicken.Â Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.Â Remove from the oven and scatter the cherry tomatoes on top.Â Roast for a further 20 minutes.

3. Drain the potatoes and cauliflower, saving a cup of the cooking water.Â Mash the vegetables, adding some of the saved cooking water to give a good, soft consistency.

4. Meanwhile, steam the green beans and spinach for 5 minutes and drain.Â Serve the chicken and tomatoes with the mash and veg.

Syns per serving Extra Easy FREE

Another one from Slimming World, a lot of cooking to do, probably took nearer to an hour and a half, but actually well worth the work.Â I’d never thought of spreading chicken Bovril over legs and thighs before (ooer missus), but it worked a treat!Â And with a couple of extra legs thrown in, there was plenty over for lunch at work the next day.

9 out of 10.

NB: I am not endorsed by Slimming World in any way, I just copy their recipes!